Toy vehicle and propulsion means therefore

ABSTRACT

An action toy is provided such as a track toy or other form of toy which is power operated by air fed thereto and ejected therefrom. Air under pressure is fed from an air compressor or blower through a long, very light weight flexible tube made of thin sheet material which offers minimum resistence to the operation of the toy vehicle by way of drag imposed by its weight. The tube is normally in a sheet-like, flat condition and is expanded to provide an ample passageway for the air required to operate the toy, by the air applied thereto from the blower or compressor. In one form, the toy is fabricated of light weight, thin walled plastic. In another form, the toy is composed of a light weight foamed plastic shell to which one or more rigid thin walled plastic fittings have been secured with at least one fitting adapted to receive and hold an end of the thin tube conducting air to the toy. The toy may also comprising a toy which is lifted and jet propelled above the ground by air fed thereto under pressure through a thin walled, flexible plastic tube.

United States Patent [1 1 Lemelson 1 14 1 Feb. 19, 1974 [54] TOY VEHICLE AND PROPULSION MEANS THEREFORE [76] Inventor: Jerome H. Lemelson, 85 Rector St.,

Metuchen, NJ. 08840 22 Filed: Sept. 19, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 290,364

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 188,311, Oct. 12,

1971, Pat. No. 3,691,670.

7/1949 Miller 46/89 Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant ExaminerRobert F. Cutting [57] ABSTRACT An action toy is provided such as a track toy or other form of toy which is power operated by air fed thereto and ejected therefrom. Air under pressure is fed from an air compressor or blower through a long, very light weight flexible tube made of thin sheet material which offers minimum resistence to the operation of the toy vehicle by way of drag imposed by its weight. The tube is normally in a sheet-like, flat condition and is expanded to provide an ample passageway for the air required to operate the toy, by the air applied thereto from the blower or compressor. In one form, the toy is fabricated of light weight, thin walled plastic. In another form, the toy is composed of a light weight foamed plastic shell to which one or more rigid thin walled plastic fittings have been secured with at least one fitting adapted to .receive and hold an end of the thin tube conducting air to the toy.

The toy may also comprising a toy which is lifted and jet propelled above the ground by air fed thereto under pressure through a thin walled, flexible plastic tube.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures TOY VEHICLE AND PROPULSION MEANS THEREFORE RELATED APPLICATIONS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an action toy, such as a toy vehicle, which is adapted to travel above the ground or a surface such as the upper wall of a guideway or toy track. Details of one form of such a toy are shown and described in my copending application Ser. No. 188,31 1 wherein the toy is a light weight hollow body in the shape of a vehicle adapted to be suspended above and propelled along a toy track or guideway on a cushion of air supplied thereto through a flexible tube from a blower, air compressor or pressurized tank of air.

Depending on the weight and configuration of the toy vehicle to be lifted and jet propelled and the air pressure available to be fed to the vehicle, certain plastic resins may be extruded to shape to form a tube thereof with self supporting walls which may be used as a flexible conduit between the remotely located air compressor or blower and the toy vehicle to permit proper operation of the vehicle. However, for many vehicle configurations, particularly where-the vehicle is above a certain size and requires relatively. large mass flows of air to function or where it is desired to use a lengthy flexible tube, an extruded plastic tube with a self supporting wall becomes too unweildy and too heavy to be used as a suitable conduit for air to the vehicle. Accordingly it is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved construction in a jet propelled vehicle toy, such as a track travelling toy or other type of toy which operates by lift generated by pressurized gas fed thereto from a remote source.

Another object is to provide a vehicle toy operating by jet propelled air fed theretofrom a remote source through a flexible tube made of plastic sheet or film which is normally not self supporting and in a flat, striplike condition but which expands when pressurized, to form a duct which is both flexible and sufficient in cross-section to provide ample volumetric air flow to the toy to properly operate same.

Another object is to provide new and improved constructions in conduits having applications to toys and other products.

Another object is to provide new and improved constructions in light weight toys which operate by lift generated by jet propulsion.

With the above and such other objects in view as may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an endview with parts broken away for clarity of part of a toy assembly including a source of pressurized gas or air, an elongated flexible tube for conducting said 'air from said source under pressure and a portion of a toy vehicle adapted to receive and utilize the pressurized air to propel] it along a track or above the ground;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fragment of a modified form of flexible tube applicable to the toy assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG; 3 is an end view of the flexible tube of FIG. 1 in its normal, unexpanded condition;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the tube of FIG. 3 with air pressure expanding and forming same into a duct for carrying the air used to expand same and FIG. 5 is a side view with parts broken away for clarity of a modified toy assembly of the type provided in FIG. 1.

There is shown in FIG. 1 a toy assembly 10 composed of a toy vehicle 11 formed of a light weight, sheet-like shell 12 of plastic or other suitable material such as paper, and having an interior volume 13 adapted to be pressurized with air forcedinto the vehicle body through a flexible tube 18 from a source 24 of such pressurized air. The body or shell 12 is configured with one or more openings therein (not shown) for expelling air fed thereto as one or more streams of air adapted togenerate in most instances, both lift and thrust for propelling the vehicle above the ground or a track. Details of a typical track travelling toy vehicle configuration are provided in my copending application serial number 188,311 which discloses a light weight vehicle toy adapted to travel along a guide or toy monorail track on a cushion of air created by downwardly flowing the pressurized air fed to the interior of the vehicle therein some of the sir is alsodir ected rearwardlyxto generate thrust for propelling the vehicle along the track. Various other vehicle body configurations are possible including those shaped and configured to float and be propelled above a surface by air cushion or ground effect means without use of a toy track and 0th ers shaped, configured and sufficietly light in weight to be supported above the ground and travel within the air volume defined by the length of the flexible tube 18 as a result of lift and thrust generated by one or more air streams of air ejected from the interior 13 of the vehicle body.

If constructed primarily of rigid, self supporting plastic such as polystyrene, polyethylene, cellulose acetate or other suitable polymer, the vehicle body 12 may be formed by vacuum or pressure forming thin sheet material, by injection or blow molding. For most applications, it is preferablethat the vehicle body 12 have a wall thickness under .010 inch and more preferably in the range of .002 to .006 inch The body 12 may also be made of molded, expanded plastic such as cellular polystyrene or a combination of such cellular plastic and thin walled rigid plastic as shown. Inside shell 12 is a shell' 14 of cellular plastic providing support for the outer shell and permitting said outer shell 12 to be made in the range of .001 to .005 inch thick without buckling during use or under air pressure. 7

The flexible plastic tube 18 is preferably fabricated of relatively thin plastic sheet or film in a flat condition as shown in FIG. 3 wherein it is made either from a single tubular extrusion of material and having a wall thickness which is insufficient to be self supporting or is made from one or two strips, of flexible plastic film having one or both longitudinal edges thereof welded or heat sealed together. The flat tube is thus composed of opposite flat walls 19 and 20 and joined longitudinal edges 21 and 22. One end 18A of tube 18 is shown frictionally secured or sealed to a rigid fitting which is secured to the body shell 12. Fitting 15 has a flange 16 which may be bonded or welded to shell 12 and a thin tubular neck 17 which is shown fitted inside the end 18A of tube 18 and is aligned with an opening in the body shell 12 so that air may pass from the tube into the volume 13 within the vehicle body 11. The tube 18, depending on the configuration of the toy, may be made of flexible plastic film varying in wall thickness from about .0005 to .005 inch. For most applications it will vary from .0005 to .002 inch in thickness and from 1 to 6 feet in length although it may be made substantially longer for flying toy vehicles which are adapted to rise considerably above the ground. Materials of which tube 18 may be made include flexible polyethylene, flexible polyvinylchlorise, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, flexible polyurethane, ionomer and polyamide resins. Certain other plastic resins which may be extruded or calendered into thin films may also be utilized.

The other end 188 of tube 18 is shown secured over a tubular fitting or outlet tube 23 of a pump. compressor or blower 22 or a controllable valve extending from such a device or source of pressurized air. A ring or wire 24 is shown gripping the exterior of the end of tube 18 and securing it against the end of outlet tube 24 to hold and seal it thereto. The device 22 is preferably manually or remotely controllable to supply and terminate as well as regulate the flow of air to the tube 18 so that the movement of the vehicle 11 may be correspondingly controlled. The device 22 may also be pivotally supported to either freely rotate or be power driven to follow, for example, the movement of the toy vehicle 11 as it is jet propelled by air received from said device. Device 22 may also be manually held and directed to permit the tube 18 to follow the vehicle and to impart forces through the tube to the vehicle for directing same above the ground.

In FIG. 2 is shown a modified form of the tube used in FIG. 1. The tube 25 has a thin film or sheet wall 26, preferably in the range of .0005 inch and .002 inch thick and made of one of the materials hereinabove described. As in the case of the tube 18 of FIG. 1, the tube 25 may vary from about 1/2 inch in diameter to 2 or more inches in diameter depending on the toy vehicle configuration and the volume of air to be delivered thereto. Extending longitudinally along either or both side walls of tube 25 are one or more thin strips 27 of a more rigid plastic than that employed for the wall 26. These strips 27 may also be several times the thickness of the wall 26 and offer support for the tube wall 26 along its length to prevent it from buckling when the tube is inflated and bowed a certain degree. The strips 27 may be extruded in situ on the surface or within the confines of sheet 26 and may vary in thickness from .002 to .020 inch and in width from about .010 inch to about .050 inch. They may be made of more rigid formulations of the same plastic polymer or of a different polymer which is compatible with the polymer of which the wall 26 is made. For example, the strips may be made of medium or high density polyethylene or rigid polyvinyl chloride or rigid polurethane resins if the wall 26 is made of corresponding flexible formulations of the same resins or is sufficiently thin to impart the desired degree of flexibility to the tube wherein it may be extruded of the same formulation as the strips.

FIG. 2 also shows two thin wires 28 and 29 extending the length of the tube 25. These wires which are preferably, although not necessarilty, single strands of copper or aluminum, may be used to conduct power or electrical signals from a source located on or beyond the device 22 to one or more solenoids or motors located on the toy vehicle when electrical coupling is effected between said wires and respective leads at both ends of the tube 25. Wires 28 and 29 may be bonded to the outer surface of tube wall 26 or may be disposed therein and are preferably in the range of about .0005 to .005 inch in diameter. I I

FIG. 4 shows the tube 18 of FIG. 1 in end view and inflated with gas or air under pressure flowing therein. In another embodiment, it is noted that a single strip or one or more strips of rigid or more rigid plastic than that employed for the walls 19, 20 or 25 of the tubes described may spirally extend along all if not most of the tubes described either per se or in combination with the described longitudinally extending parallel strips 27, to support the walls of the tube as described.

FIG. 5 shows a toy assembly 30 including a toy vehicle 31 of one of the types hereinbefore described and having a thin walled body shell 32 defining a partially closed interior 35 into which pressurized air is introduced through a tubular neck 33, the end 34 of which is open and is disposed within the interior of an elongated flexible tube 36 made of one of the thin sheet plastic material described, The major length of the tube 36 is defined by a wall 37 of substantially greater diam eter than theend 38 thereof which is necked down so as to permit it to conform to the tubular neck 33 of the body 32. The two may be secured together by adhesive, heat sealing, a ring or fitting, twisted wire or frictionally assembled. The opposite end of tube 36 may be similarly configured and assembled to the outlet of a blower or compressor or may be the same diameter as the major central portion 37. I

In yet another embodiment, the toy or vehicle which is connected to the described flexible tubes may also have either a completely flexible wall or wall portions thereof which are flexible and inflatable by air applied thereto through the described flexible tube. For example, the toy body may comprise a spherical, oblong or pear shaped balloon made of rubber or plastic film and may contain one or more rigid but light weight fittings secured to its wall or a neck portion thereof for directing air downwardly and or rearwardly thereof for creating lift and/or thrust to propel] and float the vehicle. A similar fitting secured to a wall or neck portion may be used to couple the balloon to the described flexible tube. In yet another form, a single fitting may be used to receive and direct air from the flexible tube to the interior of the balloon and to eject it therefrom through another passageway to provide lift and/or thrust by jet propulsion. 7

It is noted that the tubes 18 and 25 of FIGS. 1 and 2 which are shown as being substantially constant in diameter along their lengths may also be fabricated with a varying diameter. For example, they may be greater in diameter at the end connected to the compressor or blower and taper or neck down along their lengths towards the end connected to the vehicle. They may also be fabricated with a sinusoidal configuration along their lengths by heat sealing their border portions with sinusoidally shaped sealing dies, so as to permit a certain degree of bending of the tubes, when inflated, without buckling.

In FIG. 4 the fitting 23' which connects tube 18 with the outlet of the compressor or. blower 22 is shown as substantially elliptical in shape rather than cylindrical as in FIG. 1. If the tubes 18 and 25 are made of an elastomeric material such as polybutadiene styrene, they may expand somewhat during'flow of air therethrough thus improving support for their walls.

I claim:

1. An air operated toy comprising in combination:

a source of pressurized gas,

a toy vehicle having a passageway therein, an inlet to said passageway for admitting pressurized gas thereto and an outlet therefrom for flowing said pressurized gas and means for utilizing said gas to propel the vehicle,

a flexible conduit connecting said source of pressurized gas with said inlet to said vehicle passageway,

said flexible conduit being made of thin sheet material of such a thickness and configuration as to be normally disposed in a collapsed condition to define a substantially flat tube, and

said flexible conduit being expandable to an open tubu'lar shape when gas from said source is admitted thereto and adapted to remain expanded while said pressurized gas flows therethrough to said vehicle toy to permit said gas to flow without obstruction from said source to said vehicle and to thereby effect propulsion of said vehicle.

2. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flexible conduit is formed of a thin plastic film made of a polymer selected from the group consistirig of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyurethane, ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer, polyester and ionomer resins. I

3. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flexible conduit is a tube having sheet-like walls between .0005 and .006 inch thick.

4. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein the diameter of said flexible tube, when inflated, is between A and 2 inches.

5. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flexible tube is between 2 and 20 feet in length.

6. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said toy vehicle has an electrically operated device assembled thereto and said flexbile tube contains at least two thin electrical conductors secured thereto and extending substantially the length thereof, a source of electrical energy disposed beyond the end of said tube which is connected to said source of pressurized gas, first coupling means connecting said wires to said source of electrical energy and second means connected said wires to said electrically operated device assembled to said vehicle.

7. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flexible conduit is necked down at one end thereof.

8. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle is formed of thin sheet-like walls less than .015 inch thick.

9. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle is composed of portions formed of rigid plastic and the major portion thereof is formed of cellular plastic.

10. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle is formed at least in part of a flexible thin sheet material which expands when gas from said source is admitted to said vehicle, and rigid fitting means connected to said flexible sheet material for coupling said conduit thereto and for directing gas therefrom. 

1. An air operated toy comprising in combination: a source of pressurized gas, a toy vehicle having a passageway therein, an inlet to said passageway for admitting pressurized gas theretO and an outlet therefrom for flowing said pressurized gas and means for utilizing said gas to propel the vehicle, a flexible conduit connecting said source of pressurized gas with said inlet to said vehicle passageway, said flexible conduit being made of thin sheet material of such a thickness and configuration as to be normally disposed in a collapsed condition to define a substantially flat tube, and said flexible conduit being expandable to an open tubular shape when gas from said source is admitted thereto and adapted to remain expanded while said pressurized gas flows therethrough to said vehicle toy to permit said gas to flow without obstruction from said source to said vehicle and to thereby effect propulsion of said vehicle.
 2. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flexible conduit is formed of a thin plastic film made of a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyurethane, ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer, polyester and ionomer resins.
 3. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flexible conduit is a tube having sheet-like walls between .0005 and .006 inch thick.
 4. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein the diameter of said flexible tube, when inflated, is between 1/4 and 2 inches.
 5. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flexible tube is between 2 and 20 feet in length.
 6. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said toy vehicle has an electrically operated device assembled thereto and said flexbile tube contains at least two thin electrical conductors secured thereto and extending substantially the length thereof, a source of electrical energy disposed beyond the end of said tube which is connected to said source of pressurized gas, first coupling means connecting said wires to said source of electrical energy and second means connected said wires to said electrically operated device assembled to said vehicle.
 7. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said flexible conduit is necked down at one end thereof.
 8. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle is formed of thin sheet-like walls less than .015 inch thick.
 9. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle is composed of portions formed of rigid plastic and the major portion thereof is formed of cellular plastic.
 10. An air operated toy in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle is formed at least in part of a flexible thin sheet material which expands when gas from said source is admitted to said vehicle, and rigid fitting means connected to said flexible sheet material for coupling said conduit thereto and for directing gas therefrom. 